Chapter Forty: Fang Ye's Defeat!

Noticing the smile on Jiang Xiaotian’s lips, Fang Ye’s pupils contracted sharply. An ominous premonition seized him, but his hand strike was already launched—life and death hung in the balance, and there was no turning back.

A thunderous crack echoed through the arena. As a mid-stage External Force martial artist, Fang Ye’s physique was as formidable as a superhuman’s. His blow swept up the sand and dust around them. Yet, the expected bloodshed did not occur, nor did Fang Ye’s triumphant laughter ring out. Instead, the air was thick with astonishment and disbelief.

Fang Ye’s hand, poised like a blade, stopped less than two centimeters from Jiang Xiaotian’s head, unable to move forward in the slightest. Jiang Xiaotian’s massive hand gripped his wrist like an iron shackle, completely immobilizing him.

“Impossible!” Fang Ye’s voice trembled with shock.

He had unleashed his full strength, yet Jiang Xiaotian had stopped his attack effortlessly! No matter how he struggled or exerted himself, he could not break free from Jiang Xiaotian’s grasp.

Stunned, Fang Ye also felt a flickering of fear when he saw the predatory glint in Jiang Xiaotian’s eyes. But above all, his rage surged.

“I’ll kill you!” Fang Ye roared furiously.

Once more, he gathered his martial energy in his right leg and lashed out with a kick aimed at Jiang Xiaotian’s waist—the body’s most vulnerable point. He intended to split him in two! Blinded by fury, every strike was lethal. His right leg moved so fast it left afterimages, the martial energy so dense it distorted the air.

“Die!” Fang Ye’s voice brimmed with murderous intent. When had a genius like him ever suffered such humiliation? He was determined to kill Jiang Xiaotian.

But Jiang Xiaotian had already lost interest in playing along. Fang Ye showed no mercy, and no one in the audience called to stop the fight—what a farce this so-called Martial Arts Tournament was!

“Shut your mouth!” Jiang Xiaotian’s spiritual energy erupted, and in that instant, everything around him slowed to a crawl. The whip-like kick that had been impossible to evade now played out before his eyes in slow motion.

His spiritual energy seemed almost sentient, surging forth on its own and wrapping tightly around his fist. What followed was the Dragon Fist technique he had practiced countless times.

Jiang Xiaotian calmly closed his eyes, as if his opponent was nothing more than a sandbag. All pressure vanished. The Dragon Fist roared forth, smashing directly into Fang Ye’s knee.

A crisp crack resounded, followed by a wrenching scream.

Fang Ye’s right leg dangled helplessly in the air, unable to bear his weight. His knee had caved in, his entire leg bending backward at an unnatural angle that made everyone’s skin crawl.

The arena fell silent, save for Fang Ye’s agonized howls. The searing pain overwhelmed him, stripping away all thought. He collapsed to the ground, tears and snot running down his face—no trace of a genius remained.

Jiang Xiaotian looked down at him, eyes cold and indifferent. He took a step forward, and Fang Ye scrambled backward in terror.

“Jiang Xiaotian! Damn you! I’ll kill you! How dare you hurt me! You trash! You sneak attack! I’ll have your life!” Fang Ye screamed, hands trembling uncontrollably from a mixture of pain and fear that cut to the bone.

Jiang Xiaotian smiled and, without warning, stomped down and shattered Fang Ye’s left knee as well.

Fang Ye’s face twisted in agony, his teeth clenched, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Jiang Xiaotian like a mad demon. Now, both his legs were broken—he could not move at all.

“Tell me, am I justified in killing you?” Jiang Xiaotian squatted before him.

Fang Ye shuddered violently; he could sense Jiang Xiaotian’s murderous intent. He was terrified of dying.

“I con—” Fang Ye tried with all his might to force out the words, but at the last moment, Jiang Xiaotian’s hand closed around his throat, cutting off all sound. Even breathing became a struggle.

At last, the organizers snapped out of their shock and could no longer sit still. Slamming the table, one of them stood up and shouted, “Jiang Xiaotian! Are you insane? Fang Ye can’t fight anymore! Stop at once!”

Jiang Xiaotian still did not let go. He turned his head coldly, regarding the hypocrites with icy eyes. “When he was trying to kill me, not one of you spoke up for me. Both of his attacks would have killed me if I failed to block them. Why did no one intervene then?”

The organizers’ faces shifted through a spectrum of emotions. Just as one was about to retort, Zhao Zheng snorted coldly.

“So that’s how it is. Jiang Xiaotian, you really are ruthless and heartless. Are you above the law now? What, do you want to commit murder in front of me?” Zhao Zheng set down his tablet, his expression a mix of mockery and warning.

Jiang Xiaotian let out a cold laugh and finally released his grip. Fang Ye collapsed to the ground, his breath barely perceptible.

With a disdainful snort, Jiang Xiaotian kicked Fang Ye’s limp body off the stage as if he were a dead dog, then strode away, paying no attention to Zhao Zheng’s expression.

Jiang Xiaotian had spared Fang Ye’s life because, in truth, Fang Ye’s offense was nothing more than a foul mouth. Had he truly injured Jiang Xiaotian, he would not have survived today. But since Jiang Xiaotian was unharmed and was not a bloodthirsty man, he gave Fang Ye a sufficient lesson and let him go.

Yet, to the onlookers, this appeared as fear of Zhao Zheng.

No one had expected Jiang Xiaotian’s strength to be so overwhelming. He had emerged unscathed from Fang Ye’s vicious assaults. It was impossible not to be shocked.

Both were of similar age; perhaps Jiang Xiaotian was the true young genius.

Yet such a genius was doomed to fall today.

As the crowd lamented that it was no wonder Jiang Xiaotian dared to oppose Chen Yu, they could not help but pity him. He had defeated Fang Ye and reached the peak of the External Force stage, but between External and Internal Force lay an unbridgeable chasm. No matter how strong Jiang Xiaotian was, he could never be a match for Chen Yu.

As for Fang Ye’s family, their hearts bled at the sight, and their hatred for Jiang Xiaotian reached its zenith.

“Master Chen Yu, you must stand up for us! That beast is so vicious at such a young age! Fang Ye showed mercy, and it only gave him a chance to launch a sneak attack!”

Chen Yu nodded solemnly, then announced to the audience, “Everyone, you’ve all seen it. Fang Ye was defeated by Jiang Xiaotian, and if not for Young Master Zhao’s intervention, he might have died right there. This boy is vicious beyond measure. My life-and-death duel with him is to rid the world of evil! Such strength at such a young age—who knows what strange and sinister techniques he has learned! But I, Chen Yu, will not back down. Not just for my unfortunate disciple, but for Young Master Fang, and for all the martial artists of Linhai!”

His stirring words roused his supporters into a frenzy, as if they had forgotten what martial arts Chen Yu practiced, as if they had forgotten how many girls had died at his hands. Now, they wished nothing more than to tear Jiang Xiaotian to pieces.

No one noticed the sly, sinister smile that played at the corner of Chen Yu’s lips.